# Steam Seasoning a Humi/Coolerdor



## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Well, I thought I would ask this question of everyone here because I haven't seen it mentioned on the boards and I did search for it.

I've heard all sorts of ways that people have, and quite correctly I might add, set up their humidors. Wiping down the interior walls with distilled water or just letting it sit with humidification beads. There's nothing wrong with these methods but I would like to suggest another method for bringing your humi up VERY QUICKLY.

What I've done in the past is plug in this little steam cleaning machine, like they sell on infomercials, and from a decent distance I give the insides of my humi several once overs. Ok, it's not really a humidor rather a S-cedar lined coolerdor.

I find it's best to do this spread out over a few hours so that you don't get actual condensation on the wood, the heat from the steam causes the "pores" of the wood to open up and more quickly absorb the moisture from the steam which is, in reality, ultra high humidity.

Another potential plus to this (I think) is that the hot steam will kill bacteria as well as any mold spores. Oh yeah, and what really makes this convenient is that since the water is being applied to the wood in steam form it is in fact distilled water and thus perfect for this purpose. Turning tap water into distilled within minutes.

I don't want this post to be the length of a book so I'll stop here. Could you guys let me know what you think of this method and is it possible that I'm somehow causing harm that I'm not aware of. I haven't noticed any problem signs but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

Cheers,
Rob


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## Tour De Cigar (Feb 26, 2007)

first time ive heard of this method.. so im not sure if there any harm being done... how big is this steamer do you have any pics.. just curious..


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## guinsdan (Mar 6, 2006)

Actually sounds good, but I would be concerned about warping the wood which may depend on its thickness...


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

No1der said:


> . . . but I would like to suggest another method for bringing your humi up VERY QUICKLY.


What's your hurry? Seasoning a humidor the traditional way does not take long. Patience, Grasshopper.



No1der said:


> . . . and is it possible that I'm somehow causing harm that I'm not aware of. I haven't noticed any problem signs but that doesn't mean they aren't there.


It's possible. So why take a chance?


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Tour De Cigar said:


> first time ive heard of this method.. so im not sure if there any harm being done... how big is this steamer do you have any pics.. just curious..


Yeah, I was just sitting at home one evening and this little steamer was sitting on the shelf so there I am staring at my coolerdor and this steamer and it just kinda hit me. It's worked out well for me so far.



guinsdan said:


> Actually sounds good, but I would be concerned about warping the wood which may depend on its thickness...


In all honesty, I haven't had even the thinnest woods do anything unwanted, no warping or cracking.

I think the key is to blasting the wood from a fairly close distance so the heat can "open" it up right away. I typically do a quick once over from about 8 inches from the wood and then do a longer steam from further away so that it's only warm steam circulating around rather than super heated.

It's worked for me but this was an experiment that I wanted to try and liked the results. Your results may varry. That's why I'm asking what people think and I hope some of the high ranking Gorillas will chime in as I'm curious what they think.

Here's a pic of the type of steamer I have.


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

pnoon said:


> What's your hurry? Seasoning a humidor the traditional way does not take long. Patience, Grasshopper.
> 
> It's possible. So why take a chance?


Pnoon, the reason I did this in the first place is because when I got into this hobby I started with just a small box of cigars and a month later I suddenly had around 5 boxes and no humidor to put them in so I came up with this as my brand new coolerdor (which I built on the fly out of need) was dry as a bone.

I agree with you, the safer way is to do it the traditional way but I was worried and felt I needed to have that coolerdor up to par ASAP.


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

No1der said:


> Pnoon, the reason I did this in the first place is because when I got into this hobby I started with just a small box of cigars and a month later I suddenly had around 5 boxes and no humidor to put them in so I came up with this as my brand new coolerdor (which I built on the fly out of need) was dry as a bone.
> 
> I agree with you, the safer way is to do it the traditional way but I was worried and felt I needed to have that coolerdor up to par ASAP.


Beads from heartfeltindustries.com are essential for your coolerdor. Will regulate your humidity. Worry free.


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

pnoon said:


> Beads from heartfeltindustries.com are essential for your coolerdor. Will regulate your humidity. Worry free.


Oh I completly agree and that's what I bought only from a different source. Oh yeah, one other little experiment I did was to see how just a few beads would react to the steamer treatment and that worked out really well. No discoloration or anything of the sort.

I know why there was no discoloration it's because that steam really is distilled water. The only thing I would warn anyone against is heating the beads up with the steam can cause serious harm to the beads themselves but from a distance of a couple of feet the steam is easily absorved and pretty effectively.


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Pnoon, one of the reasons I posted this question is because I wanted more experienced members to give me feedback but also I've seen posts on many message boards asking how to prep their humi in a hurry. 

This experiment I'm describing was effective for me and it might be a solution for the folks who are in a hurry.

Wanted to share my experience with everyone here and contribute something possibly usefull.

Rob


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

No1der said:


> Pnoon, one of the reasons I posted this question is because I wanted more experienced members to give me feedback but also I've seen posts on many message boards asking how to prep their humi in a hurry.
> 
> This experiment I'm describing was effective for me and it might be a solution for the folks who are in a hurry.
> 
> ...


It appears, then, you are only looking for validation.

My feedback is to season a humi the traditional way. I'm not sure why you would season a coolerdor. Open cooler, add cigars and humidification, close cooler. Another option would be to place your box of cigars in a ziplock storage bag with a damp paper towel until the humi is ready.


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

pnoon said:


> It appears, then, you are only looking for validation.
> 
> My feedback is to season a humi the traditional way. I'm not sure why you would season a coolerdor. Open cooler, add cigars and humidification, close cooler. Another option would be to place your box of cigars in a ziplock storage bag with a damp paper towel until the humi is ready.


Pnoon, I don't know about validation, I just want others to chime in so that if this is terrible advice that I'm posting here it can be cut at the pass.

Keep in mind that I did this experiment when I was very new to this hobby about a year ago. I don't do these extreme measures these days as I don't go into a panic about my cigars drying out.

Let's put it this way, this post was an attempt to contribute to the community and get some feedback.

 Ok, maybe a little validation was being saught but only a tiny little bit. Please don't hold it against me.

I appreciate your feedback btw.


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## pnoon (Jun 8, 2005)

No1der said:


> Pnoon, I don't know about validation, I just want others to chime in so that if this is terrible advice that I'm posting here it can be cut at the pass.
> 
> Keep in mind that I did this experiment when I was very new to this hobby about a year ago. I don't do these extreme measures these days as I don't go into a panic about my cigars drying out.
> 
> ...


I'm certainly no expert but it just doesn't sound like a good idea to me. It could very well be a perfectly sound approach. I just don't know. You asked for opinions. You got one. I am interested in what others have to say.

I hold nothing against you. In fact, this is a unique approach. I wouldn't want to discourage innovative thinking. Keep the ideas coming.

:w


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Pnoon, you should have known I'd have a slightly different approach as I'm the same guy who likes to use a cigar mouth-piece. I was an odd one outa the gate. :SM
:r


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## Bigwaved (May 20, 2006)

No1der said:


> Pnoon, you should have known I'd have a slightly different approach as I'm the same guy who likes to use a cigar mouth-piece. I was an odd one outa the gate. :SM
> :r


Are you missing your lips by chance?


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Bigwaved said:


> Are you missing your lips by chance?


:r Yeah, missing some lips here. It happened when I was a little boy in China and was involved in a very serious automated rice picker accident. That sucker tore those lips right off. :ss


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## Bigwaved (May 20, 2006)

No1der said:


> :r Yeah, missing some lips here. It happened when I was a little boy in China and was involved in a very serious automated rice picker accident. That sucker tore those lips right off. :ss


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

Here's a picture of me right after that terrible accident.
The steamer really did help me the tooth cleaning, hard to brush your teeth without lips.


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## Tour De Cigar (Feb 26, 2007)

lol


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## SingleMaltScott (Jan 13, 2007)

My concern would be this: The 'steam' is NOT distilled. Turning water into steam is part of the distillation process, but, it is also sent thru piping and filters and then regathered into distilled water.

Most steamers usually recommend the use of distilled water to keep mineral build up in the unit to a minimum. So, you may be blasting some mineral particulate into the lining of your coolerdor. 

My other concern is the speed at which you could OVER humidify the boards, thereby negating the quickness you said you were looking for. Get those boards up to 80% and then what? A hair dryer?

Oft times things are done traditionally for a reason. That cedar absorbs moisture very well, but only a little at a time, hence the reason it releases it in the same way. You knew you were outsizing your humi when purchasing the boxes. If you needed storage, large ziploc bags with some of the beads in them would keep them fine while you seasoned your coolerdor.

Just my :2


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## Mr. White (Dec 4, 2004)

SingleMaltScott said:


> My concern would be this: *The 'steam' is NOT distilled*. Turning water into steam is part of the distillation process, but, it is also sent thru piping and filters and then regathered into distilled water.


That's news to me. I've never heard of filtering steam to purify it. And the piping they run the steam through is used to condense the steam back into water-form, there's no filtering going on there.

The act of distilling is to heat water to boiling thus creating steam, the steam travels through cool-down pipes and condenses and drains into the receptacle, and viola, distilled water.

I really don't see the problem with what he's done. From what I understand these are just cedar pieces he's stuck in a cooler. If he's ok with any warping going on then I don't think it should be an issue for anyone else. My only concern would be that the cooler might be become over-humidified.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_water


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## jkim05 (Feb 26, 2007)

if we're just talking about cedar pieces in a cooler, there should be no problem. if he's getting the rh to stabilize in his cooler then i guess that's all that really matters here. i also don't understand the damage done if minerals were to be blasted into the wood, it's inorganic material. also, the wood is not going absorb significantly more water than usual as long as he's not wetting the boards until they're dripping. i see no problem here.


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## Marlboro Cigars-cl (Feb 19, 2007)

SingleMaltScott said:


> My concern would be this: The 'steam' is NOT distilled.


Isn't turning water into steam 'distilling' it since the minerals do not evaporate?


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## newcigarz (Feb 11, 2007)

No the way I would do it. But if it works for you, that's cool. :tu


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## SteveDMatt (Feb 23, 2007)

Marlboro Cigars said:


> Isn't turning water into steam 'distilling' it since the minerals do not evaporate?


That is correct in my mind. But now the minerals remain in the steamer and could clog the valves. Still best to use distilled water in the steamer.

I also don't think I would take this approach. It takes only 2-3 days to season a humi and it took me only one day to "season" my cooler. In the cooler, your really only seasoning the boxes, or any cedar you have added.

But as someone before me said, if it works for you, go for it.


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## winnie (Feb 27, 2007)

SteveDMatt said:


> That is correct in my mind. But now the minerals remain in the steamer and could clog the valves. Still best to use distilled water in the steamer.
> 
> But as someone before me said, if it works for you, go for it.


I would think the steamer is designed for this sort of thing, so I wouldn't worry about clogging the valves. It seems a little rushed doing it this way, and as previously said, you could easily over humidify the boards, but, different strokes for different folks!


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## The Mum (Mar 28, 2007)

An interesting thread. good responses. I rather do the traditional method. Steam some distalled water in the micro, put in in the humidor and then wipe in down with when it cools.


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

Are you using distilled water with the steamer?


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## No1der (Apr 2, 2007)

SingleMaltScott said:


> My concern would be this: The 'steam' is NOT distilled. Turning water into steam is part of the distillation process, but, it is also sent thru piping and filters and then regathered into distilled water.
> 
> Oft times things are done traditionally for a reason. That cedar absorbs moisture very well, but only a little at a time, hence the reason it releases it in the same way. You knew you were outsizing your humi when purchasing the boxes. If you needed storage, large ziploc bags with some of the beads in them would keep them fine while you seasoned your coolerdor.
> 
> Just my :2


Turning water into steam is the proccess of distillation. The resulting steam is in fact water in it's purest form. Evaporated water by definition can not carry impurities.

Yes, traditional seasoning is the safest and most likely best way to do things but I wanted to share my experience with those who are in a huge hurry for some reason.



Jokieman said:


> I really don't see the problem with what he's done. From what I understand these are just cedar pieces he's stuck in a cooler. If he's ok with any warping going on then I don't think it should be an issue for anyone else. My only concern would be that the cooler might be become over-humidified.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_water


jokieman, yes we are talking about a coolerdor here which is lined with pieces of wood.

BTW, I personally have not witnessed any warping but that doesn't mean it can't happen. It's been quite a long time since I've used this method to season anything.



jkim05 said:


> if we're just talking about cedar pieces in a cooler, there should be no problem. if he's getting the rh to stabilize in his cooler then i guess that's all that really matters here. i also don't understand the damage done if minerals were to be blasted into the wood, it's inorganic material. also, the wood is not going absorb significantly more water than usual as long as he's not wetting the boards until they're dripping. i see no problem here.


I had a little bit of an issue of slightly high humidity levels but beads took care of that very quickly. Somewhat undersaturated beads are very effective for this purpose.

Good point, I don't know what harm minerals would cause. I'd never considered that questiong before. Primarily I wanted to get rid of the bleach which is found in tap water.



Marlboro Cigars said:


> Isn't turning water into steam 'distilling' it since the minerals do not evaporate?


That's always been my understanding.



newcigarz said:


> No the way I would do it. But if it works for you, that's cool. :tu


I agree, this is without a doubt somewhat risky and results can varry wildly. Just because my experience was good doesn't mean the next guys will be as well. Certainly a light touch is needed for this procedure.



SteveDMatt said:


> That is correct in my mind. But now the minerals remain in the steamer and could clog the valves. Still best to use distilled water in the steamer.


I used plain tap-water and you're right, the steamer can get clogged after a while however a little lemon/lime juice in the steamer quickly dissolves those deposits and flushes them away.



winnie said:


> I would think the steamer is designed for this sort of thing, so I wouldn't worry about clogging the valves. It seems a little rushed doing it this way, and as previously said, you could easily over humidify the boards, but, different strokes for different folks!


I've only had to ever clean the steamer itself a couple of times in the past 3 years so it's not a huge issue. I probably could have never cleaned it and been fine but I was experimenting with it and wanted to see if performance would change greatly. It never changed to any large degree.



The Mum said:


> An interesting thread. good responses. I rather do the traditional method.


I think so too, I'm so glad that there are so many great posts being made.



Boston_Dude05 said:


> Are you using distilled water with the steamer?


Nope, just regular tap water.

I think I answere everyone and if I missed anyone it was my accident.

Please keep the comments coming as this really has become an interesting thread with all the different points of view.

Cheers,
Rob


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